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There are several factors that influence the degree of difficulty in a trial. These factors additionally figure into a "Q". The quality of the grounds, the number of entries (time) and the strength of the field. The key is having enough test that you can achieve separation. With good grounds, separation may be accomplished without retiring a gun or adding additional factors to a blind. With lessor grounds additional factors may be need to achieve separation.

You will see wide variations in qualifying tests based on the judges' theories of what a Q should be. If the judges are the type that view the Q as a way to get interested in the sport vs. those that believe that when a dog gets QAA'd they are essentially ready to start running an AA stake. I've seen them across the board, and I think that's why you are getting the varying answers. When I qualified one dog I trained, the water blind was one that the open had run the year before, minus about 20 yards of entry. It still had 80 yards of an angle entry into the water. The second dog that I trained and got qualified had a shore line blind.... there was a point, spits of land to go up and over, and a shoreline to skim. I will never forget how Niki took that cast towards the shore, delayed vocal back cast) and she skimmed it like a champ. the judges said they'd been waiting all day to see someone to run that blind like that. The next day had ice on the ground, cold stiff wind in alabama, believe it or not. My girl was the only one to get in the cheating edge of that water, and swim to the long retired up on the dam... and, she returned the same way. I remember the applause. and Jerry Day saying "wow, andy trained another good one." And, as Attar said to me, "I bet you were quick to correct him." You bet I was! (this was a momma trained dog, Jerry!").

Howard NiemiYou really gotta be careful about how high a pedestal you put your method, your accomplishments, your dog on. There's usually someone who's done more, somewhere. And they may have used a different method than you did! Chris Atkinson 2013

Whelp, seems like there's variety in everything; If your daring you could just throw into a Am. or Open, if you Jam, I hear tell you become QAA, by default, and of course you get the added possibility of being able to win-place in the Am/Op .

Last edited by Hunt'EmUp; 10-17-2013 at 01:47 PM.

"They's Just DAWGS"
"Hunting is a skill to be learned whether you do it early or late it still needs to be learned"
"I train dogs, Not papers"

I've run more Q's with several different dogs over the last 6 years than I like to admit. I've seen just about anything along the way except for a Quad, Poison Bird, or marks interupted by a blind.
Doubles none retired to Triples with two retired. Out of order flyer. Blinds up the middle, behind, tight, wide and even under the arc of the flyer. Dry pops. Land and Water blinds that were difficult and blinds that were so meatless you wondered why they bothered.

Double and a blind, triple and a blind, triples with a LB and a WB (its kind of fun to get three series run in one trip to the line).

A double with one retired and a blind seem to be the most common first/second combo series these days. While I am not a big fan of a double and a blind for the combo first two series (prefer that Q dogs have to count to 3), I understand why its necessary to keep the stake moving.